In looking to add depth to their bullpen, the New York Mets signed right-handed sidearm reliever Trevor Hildenberger to a minor league contract in early December. Hildenberger, 30, comes with three years of major league experience after being selected in the 22nd round of the 2014 MLB Draft from the University of California. The soft-tossing sidearmer made his major league debut in June 2017...
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Since 2015, no pitcher has appeared in more games than right-handed reliever Jared Hughes with 372. His 358.1 innings pitched in that span is the third-highest total, while his 61.4 percent ground-ball rate is the 11th-highest mark among qualified relievers. Hughes, 35, was a fourth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates back in the 2006 MLB Draft out of California State University. He has been a...
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When the news broke in mid-November of 2017 that Wally Backman had agreed to manage the New Britain Bees, one of eight independent teams in the Atlantic League, it took few by surprise. The baseball lifer is still chasing his dream of one day managing in the major leagues, a position he held for all of four days in November 2004 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The club was unaware of his past...
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On July 21, 2004, a 21-year-old top prospect from Virginia made his major league debut for the team he grew up rooting for. Batting seventh and playing third base, David Wright began a career that seemed destined for eventual enshrinement into the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. Showcasing extra-base power – with his trademark hits to right-center field – along with good speed on the...
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When Jay Horwitz interviewed for a public relations position with the New York Mets back in 1980, he was convinced that the prospects of getting hired were slim to none. After all, Horwitz showed up to his interview a half-hour late after he went to the wrong hotel, and then proceeded to spill a container of orange juice on general manager Frank Cashen’s lap after nervously reaching...
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